1835. 



B 11 E T T K O R 0 11 A 11 E K A T 1 P U N A . 



565 



pressions caused by Otaheite, rendered the view of New Zea- 

 land, though novel, rather uninteresting. 



Cape Brett is a bold promontory, higher than any neigh- 

 bouring land. When first seen from a distant offing, while no 

 other land is in sight, it makes like a quoin-shaped island. As 

 the sea around is free from danger, it is an excellent landfall 

 for shipping approaching this part of the coast. Detached from, 

 but near the cape, is the rock, with a hole or archway through 

 it, named by Cook, ' Piercy Islet.'' 



Point, or rather Cape Pococke, is a steep cliffy headland, of 

 a dark colour, rather picturesque in its appearance : near it 

 there is a conical rocky islet. Numerous islands, small and 

 large, are scattered over the bay ; an expanse of water really 

 about ten miles square, though to the eye it appears much 

 smaller, because so many islands intercept the view. 



Near the middle of the west side of the bay is the opening 

 of Kororareka Harbour, a secure but shallow port ; better 

 adapted to merchant shipping than to the use of men-of-war. 



After passing Cape Pococke, and advancing about a mile, 

 a small settlement appeared in the northern bight of the bay ; 

 and the English look of the houses was very gratifying to us. 

 This, I found, was Tipuna, or Rangihoua, the place where 

 the first settlement of white men was made upon the shores 

 of New Zealand. On the farther side of Kororareka other 

 houses were then seen — neat, and apparently comfortable 

 dwellings, well situated under the lee of the western hills, 

 while close by, on our right hand, a curious line of flat-topped 

 black rocks, a few feet only above the water, reminded us of the 

 remains of a great mole. 



Within the line from Cape Pococke to Cape Brett there is 

 not more than thirty fathoms of water ; and every where, ex- 

 cepting close to the rocks, the bottom is soft and tenacious, so 

 that an anchor may be let go in any part. We saw small strag- 

 gling villages of native huts in many places, and around each of 

 them a substantial fence of palisaded posts and rails. These 

 fences, and the cultivated spots of ground which appear as you 

 proceed up the bay, might give a more favourable idea of the 



